Ladies and Gentleman, the penultimate chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this story throughout the years, and helped me on my journey to grow as a writer, I love you all! I won't make the Authors Note too long, I'll save it for the epilogue, but if you guys would please consider leaving me a review or two, I'd really appreciate it.
I'd also like to give credit to Mr Lippert, who created the Wizards United Liberation Front, with his fantastic James Potter series, which I would recommend that you do read! It's absolutely fantastic, and even J.K Rowling herself supports the stories!
54
The Wizards United Liberation Front
Three days had passed since Harry had gotten seventy-eight signatures on a roll of parchment that would see Dumbledore's Army made an official club at Hogwarts. Of course, it wouldn't be called Dumbledore's Army, and Harry wouldn't be the one teaching the class, but the thought that something he and his friends had created all those years ago would be helping the school once again kept Harry's face plastered with a big, cheesy smile. Of course, that smile could be wiped right off this afternoon if Gryffindor came up short against Slytherin. Harry had buried his disappointment at not being able to play deep down, and had spent the previous few days building the teams morale. Because he hadn't actually mounted a broomstick according to Professor McGonagall, Ron would still be allowed to play as Gryffindor's Keeper. Despite the strict but fair style of Professor McGonagall's discipline, Harry reckoned she still showed a little bit of bias towards Gryffindor.
"Haven't you wandered every single corridor of the school yet?" Ginny shouted, running up behind him and jumping onto his back, "people are starting to think you're getting a bit soft in the head."
"I still have the third floor corridor," Harry feigned being in deep thought, "though I'm putting it off for as long as I can; nearly got eaten by a three-headed dog last time I was there. There's also the Library, but Madame Pince wouldn't like it if we went in there together, remember the Easter Egg thing? I thought I might have a quick soak in the Prefects Bath, but I'm not a Prefect, so it wouldn't be right."
"Well I could always give you permission," Ginny said flashing a Prefect badge buttoned to her robes, "Maybe I'll even join you." She flashed him a cheeky wink before hopping down from his back.
"Where did you get one of those?" Harry said regarding the badge.
"Nicked it from Ron; he just flung everything from home into his trunk when he came back. It's great, I've been scaring First Years all day! Took a thousand points off Slytherin too!"
"Did they even have a thousand points to begin with?" Harry laughed. Ginny shook her head. "So, am I the only one not running around the school pulling pranks on First years?
"Well, even Neville gave one of them the wrong directions to the Trophy Room. You should've heard the Fifth Year girls when he wandered into their bathroom!" Ginny explained some of the more elaborate pranks the she and George had been writing to each other about. Placing a portable swamp in Malfoy's Office sounded like something Harry wanted no part of, but chucking paint bombs off the Astronomy Tower sounded a good laugh. "and your plan for a big send-off prank is to take a bath." Ginny poked more fun at him as the walked, not really sure of where they were going.
"Well I don't fancy skinny dipping in the Black Lake," Harry replied, realising too late that he'd said the wrong thing to his giggling girlfriend.
"Oh imagine the headlines!" She laughed, "Potter's Package on Display!"
"Ginny," Harry said warningly, which didn't faze her one bit.
"What about The Boy Who Stripped!" she said, almost in stitches at her own jokes, "Or Harry's Magic Wand!"
"Yeah, Hardwood, 10 inches." Harry stuck his tongue out and gave her a gentle elbow in the ribs. Their laughter was cut short by the arrival of Professor Malfoy, who stormed along the corridor, her heels clacking loudly on the stone floor.
"Potter! Weasley! Is it true you two are wandering about the castle, taking points from my House? The Slytherin Hourglass is emptying itself out onto the floor!"
"No Professor, I can't take away or give out House Points." Harry replied honestly, knowing full well that the culprit was standing just to his left.
"I only took a thousand," Ginny shrugged nonchalantly, "so it can't have been me."
"A thousand," Malfoy bit her tongue, likely holding back a rage-fuelled rant. Visibly composing herself, the Professor spoke calmly and coolly, "one thousand points to Slytherin, and five from Gryffindor. I'm all for some pre-graduation hijinks, but do not play around with the House Points again." With that, Malfoy turned on her heel and stormed back down the corridor. Ginny held in her laughter just long enough for the Professor to turn the corner and disappear from sight.
"It's not like either of us were ever going to win the House Cup," Ginny said, throwing her arms round his shoulders. She was right, after they'd lost so many points for racing their broomsticks around the castle, the battle for the House Cup would be fought between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry checked his watch and realised it would soon be time for the Quidditch final. The pair of them made their way to the Great Hall to support their team.
Regina stood in a huddle with her team in the Slytherin Locker Room, listening to Jacob give his pre-match speech. She was so disappointed that she'd been banned from playing today; if they won this game, then Slytherin would become champions, and finally put an end to Gryffindors' run at the top. Still, the team that Slytherin were playing with today still looked to be the strongest team in the school, even if they had also lost their best Keeper. "Remember everyone," Jacob continued his rambling, "this is a team, not a group of individuals. Regina and I picked each and every one of you to play for Slytherin because we think that you are the best players that this school has to offer. But we can only be the best team in the school by working together, like we have all season; one team, one unit, one goal in mind. So let's go out and show Gryffindor exactly what that means."
The team picked up their broomsticks and headed for the tunnel. Jacob stayed behind for a moment and pulled Regina into a hug. "How did I do?"
"Cheesy, as always," Regina replied, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Go win the match for me."
"For you?" he scoffed sarcastically, "I'm winning the match for me." With that, he turned and stepped into formation with the rest of the team as the door to the pitch finally opened, flooding the locker room with sunlight. Regina could see the Gryffindor stands packed completely full, with hundreds of students waving banners and flags, and cheering at the top of their lungs. The Slytherin stand was behind her, but she could imagine it being much the same, only with green banners and flags. The stadium erupted into a frenzy as both teams rocketed out onto the pitch, casting trails of red and green smoke from the tails of their brooms as they looped around the stadium. Regina turned away and headed for the locker room exit, and hurried to the Honeydukes stand for a bag of Acid Pops before the match could get underway. When she arrived at the Slytherin stand the two teams had taken their starting positions in the air, and the Gryffindor stand was making a lot of noise, chanting 'Weasley is our King!'. Clearly they were brimming with confidence now that one of their most famous players had returned for a final game, and weren't afraid to shout about it. Slytherin on the other hand, remained quietly confident. They hadn't seen the same success as Gryffindor had been enjoying lately, but over the last few years Slytherin had been quietly building the most well-rounded team the school had ever seen. Regina was fairly confident that her team would pull of the victory today. As Madame Hooch tossed the Quaffle high into the air, Regina plonked herself right in between Marcus and Gabrielle, whom she'd watched slowly inching closer together. The two younger students practically jumped apart, their faces turning a bright shade of red.
"Acid Pop?" Regina said, holding out the bag of sweets, clearly enjoying the awkward tension between the pair. All eyes turned to the pitch as Demelza Robins managed a quick break past the trio of Slytherin Chasers, and lined herself up for a shot on goal. She fired her shot from distance, hoping to catch the Slytherin Keeper off guard, but before he could even move to make the save, one of the teams Beaters had flung himself forward, and clubbed the Quaffle hard, sending it spiralling over to the other side of the pitch. The chase was on now, as both teams scrambled towards the Quaffle, battling fiercely for possession. For a moment, it looked as though Gryffindor might have it, but Slytherin made the steal, and after a near perfect reverse pass, slotted an easy goal past Ron Weasley. The Slytherin stand broke into cheers as their team drew first blood. A good start, Regina thought, but there's still a long way to go.
Hermione had never really been fully invested in Quidditch, she'd always enjoyed watching Harry, Ron, and Ginny zoom around on their brooms, but she'd never taken it too seriously. But even she was having a hard time keeping her composure as the game between Gryffindor and Slytherin heated up. After a few false starts, Gryffindor had finally hit their stride, and now the two teams were putting on a game for the ages. The Gryffindor Beaters had taken down two of Slytherin's Chasers, and as a result, Gryffindor were now in the lead, 70 – 60. Slytherin weren't taking it lying down though, and for the last few minutes had been sending a bombardment of Bludgers towards the Gryffindor end. The atmosphere in the stands was tense, the air electrified with nervous energy. One mistake from either team would cost them the School Quidditch Cup, and at the moment, neither team was giving an inch. It would all come down the Snitch, Hermione was sure of it, and Harry seemed sure of it to; he had been sitting next to her at the start of the game, but now he was pacing the stands like a madman, his eyes glued to the sky, no doubt in search of the tiny golden ball. He was trying his best to stay positive, but Hermione knew it was killing him to have to sit the final game of the season out. Ron and Harry had been up all night talking about their strategy for the game, just like old times. Ginny, on the other hand, seemed to be taking it quite well. The redheaded girl had slid over into Harry's empty seat, and was happily tucking into a box of fudge flies, occasionally barking out profanities at the Slytherin Chasers.
All eyes were drawn to the pitch, and almost everyone had risen from their seats, as Gryffindor's new Seeker – a Fourth Year Girl, who'd mysteriously been given a loan of a Firebolt – leaned forward into a massive dive. Slytherin's seeker followed hot on her tail, pushing his Nimbus 2001 to its limit. The pair pulled out of the dive inches before slamming headfirst into the ground, causing Hermione's heart to leap into her throat. Slytherin's Beaters had pulled around in tandem, waiting for a Bludger to hit at the Gryffindor girl, who's inexperience was beginning to show in the race for the Snitch. The tiny golden ball fluttered wildly into the framework below the pitch, and the Slytherin Seeker dove straight in after it, just like Hermione had seen Harry and Draco doing all those years ago. The Gryffindor Seeker was reluctant to get in amongst the rafters, and so flew above, waiting for the Snitch to fly back into bounds. The Slytherin Seeker rocketed out from beneath the pitch in hot pursuit of the Snitch, weaving this way and that, but still unable to wrap a hand around glory. The two Seekers were side by side again, zooming towards the Slytherin half. The Snitch continued on towards the Slytherin Goals, and despite the noise of the crowd, the Slytherin Seeker could still be heard screaming at his team to get out of the way. The pair flew neck-and-neck, but the Snitch looked to be heading straight through the middle hoop. Hermione could hear Lee Jordan screaming in the commentary box.
"Both Seekers are in hot pursuit of the Snitch, this could be it folks! Jacob Martin screams for his team-mates to get out of the way, leaving the Slytherin goal wide open. The Snitch looks as though it's going to head through the middle hoop, the Seekers will have to split up and go around. No! Jacob Martin rockets right through the hoop, leaving Gryffindor completely behind, and now he has his hand wrapped tightly around the Snitch! Slytherin win! Gryffindor's run at the top comes to its end in a thrilling match, but now it's Slytherin's time. Slytherin are champions!" The Gryffindor crowd seemed to deflate as Slytherin grabbed hold of the Snitch to win the School Quidditch Cup. The Slytherin stand erupted into a chorus of cheers as their players celebrated on the pitch. The Slytherin stand seemed to grow louder and louder, until screams and cheers seemed to be all that anyone could hear inside the crowded stadium.
"They're really laying it on thick, aren't they?" Ginny spat bitterly, "If I hadn't been banned it would've been a totally different story." Hermione was going to try Ginny with a more diplomatic answer, but the Slytherin stand was getting louder still, and the players were starting to drag people out of the stands. Hermione grabbed a pair of Omnioculars from a nearby First Year and zoomed in on the green-clad crowd.
"They're not cheering, they're screaming!" Hermione jumped from seat, trying to get Ron's attention on the pitch.
"What's going on?" Harry asked gruffly, arriving quickly at her side as soon as there had been a hint of danger.
"The Slytherin stand is on fire!"
Regina was trying her best to calm the crowd and get them to leave the stands in an orderly manner, but it just wasn't happening, and to make matters worse, whomever had set the stands on fire clearly wanted to make sure that everyone remained trapped, as both exits were now engulfed in a dark purple flame. Some of the older students had elected to jump the banister at the font of the stands, and land roughly on the ground, but none of the younger students would be able to perform a powerful enough Arresto Momentum to slow themselves down. As soon as they had spotted what was going on, Jacob and the team had flown down to the stands, and had begun flying the younger students down to the ground, but it would take time, and even if the other team arrived, they still wouldn't have enough brooms to evacuate everyone. Then, a brilliant, if a little over-ambitious idea struck Regina.
"Accio School Brooms!" She cried out, waving her wand in the general direction of the broom locker, before turning back to try and put out the fire that was slowly creeping up the side of the stands. Aguamenti wasn't doing a thing to the strange purple flames, and Regina was beginning to worry that this was a piece of Dark Magic, well beyond her capabilities to defend against. Before she could try another solution though, a large pile of broomsticks crashed into her, knocking her over a row of seats, and burying her in a tangle of twigs and wood. Regina began to fight her way out of the pile of school brooms, and then a pair of strong hands grabbed a hold of her and pulled her free.
"Not a bad idea," Harry Potter shouted over the noise of the crowd, "let's start getting the younger ones out, we'll put them on two at a time."
"Do you really think the school brooms can hold two at a time?"
"We're about to find out," he said, passing out brooms to bewildered first and second years, "where's Marcus, or Gabrielle?" His question was answered by a stifled mumble, and Gabrielle waved a small hand through the crushing crowd. Harry grabbed a hold of her hand and plucked her out of the swarm of students. "Here," he said, handing over his Firebolt, "not all of them can fly well, I want you to go back and forth a couple of times to make sure the school brooms get up in the air, then get yourself out! Try and find Ginny, and hand her my broom. Do you understand?" Harry shouted over the screams, as the fire rose up the back of the stands, engulfing the back row of seats. Gabrielle nodded, and kicked hard off the ground, rocketing the Firebolt into the air.
"How can we put the fire out? I've tried Aguamenti, but it doesn't work" Regina asked, hoping that he might have a better answer.
"It's violet fire," Harry answered, "it won't go out in a hurry. Whoever set the stands on fire wanted to make sure it would burn the whole thing down. We need to get everyone off." Regina nodded, and began to hand out brooms more quickly, barking instructions to the older students, some of whom just wanted to run. As Regina handed over her last broom, Gabrielle had found Marcus somewhere in the crush, pulled him up to safety, and the pair were now helping out students who were struggling to pilot the creaky school brooms. Some of them probably got a bit bruised, but the school brooms cleared the banister and managed to get most of the younger students safely onto the ground. The two Quidditch teams were still flying in and out, ferrying students to safety one by one. Regina gazed out onto the pitch, and could see Hermione and Neville tugging at the huge Slytherin banner attached to the outside of the stand. The Professors were battling wildly with the purple flames, but only Professors Flitwick and McGonagall seemed to be making any headway, and even their progress was slow going. Hermione seemed to have broken the enormous banner free, and Regina could finally see what she was trying to do.
"Everyone to the banister!" She cried out. None of the students needed telling twice. The fire was creeping further and further up the sides of the stand, licking away menacingly at the edge of the crowd, forcing everyone close and closer together. Regina was starting to feel the heat too; her face was reddening, and her hair was becoming damp with sweat. Regina hit the corners of the Slytherin banner with a few stickfast hexes, making sure they would hold, whilst out on the pitch, Hermione, Neville, and many other students were stretching the banner out across the grass, creating a giant slide. "Alright, youngest first," Regina bellowed as students began throwing themselves over the railing and onto the banner below. There were a few loud creaking noises, and Regina though for a moment that the fabric might tear, but it managed to hold the students, and so Regina sent more over the banister. The stand was emptying fast now, and within about a minute they were sending the last ten students over the rail. Harry and Regina were about to vault over the railing themselves, and drop onto the fabric below, when they heard a series of screams from the pitch. The fabric had caught fire! Most of the students rolled off safely, but the banner tore itself away from the stadium wall, leaving the pair of them trapped once again.
The fire was encroaching upon them rapidly now, forcing them away from the railing and back towards the middle of the stands. The smoke was starting to tear up Regina's eyes, and the heat was becoming unbearable. She thought that salvation might come at last when Ginny and Jacob came shooting across on their broomsticks, diving close to the stands, trying to grab a hold of either of them. But the brooms couldn't get close enough because of the flames, which by now were rising high into to the air, threatening to set their tails on fire. Regina was starting to panic now, trying desperately to think of a way out, and finding none. I'm going to die here, Regina thought, right here in front of everyone, trapped, burnt alive. A small tear had begun to roll down her cheek, but then a rough shove brought her back to reality.
"Come on," Harry choked the words out, "We need to get higher."
"You want to go towards the fire?" Regina coughed back.
"Just for a moment," Harry wheezed, signalling to Ginny, who was hovering over the blazing stand, to fly back and forth, "We're going to pull ourselves out." Regina dragged herself up the steps towards the back of the stands, wondering how in the hell Harry planned to do that. She looked up to see Ginny circling fast over their heads.
"This is going to hurt?" Regina asked, already fairly confident of the answer.
"Quite badly, I'm sure," Harry grimaced, "now, hold on to me." Regina threw her arms around Harry's shoulders and gripped him tightly, blushing slightly as she became aware of the amount of muscle he'd packed on in the past year. Not really the time or place, she thought to herself. "Carpe Retractum!" Harry cried out, flicking his wand towards the tail of Ginny's broom. A golden-orange rope of light shot out of Harry's wand and attached itself to the back of the Firebolt. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, and Regina was beginning to think Harry's plan had failed, but then Ginny pulled up on the handle of the Firebolt, and the pair were dragged into the air. Regina threw her legs around his waist to stop herself from falling, whilst Harry seemed to be straining every muscle he had to hold onto the rope of light that was hoisting them into the air. Harry's feet brushed the top of the railing, setting fire to the soles of his shoes, and no doubt causing him a fair bit of pain. Regina adjusted her position, and used her wand to untie his laces so that he could kick off his trainers, but she was aware of them falling slowly towards the ground; the Firebolt wasn't designed to carry three people, and it was beginning to lose its battle with gravity. They hit the ground hard, and were dragged along in a heap for a few feet before Ginny was able to land. Regina's body was searing with pain, and her vision was blurry; she was going to pass out, that she was sure of. She turned her head to look at the burning remnants of the Slytherin stand which had stood for less than a year, now engulfed in purple flames which flickered and popped, towering high into the air. As Regina's vision faded in and out, she saw a message appear in the flames.
WE ARE THE WIZARDS UNITED LIBERATION FRONT
WE ARE EVERYWHERE
WE ARE NOWHERE
WE ARE COMING
WE ARE HERE
Regina tried to ponder what the ominous message could mean, but she was struggling to hold onto consciousness, and finally, the world turned black.
A/n:
Thanks again everyone for reading! I hope that have enjoyed this chapter, and that you will stay on board with the Tournament of Champions! I'd also like to try and direct you to my new forum, the Hogwarts Tales forum, which is a general HP forum for us all to hang out and chat!
Thanks,
IronMan.
